Paleo Almond Flour Crackers, Simple & Quick

Once again, I have to thank KC Thorson of KC’s Kafe for sharing another delicious recipe when we got together for lunch the other day. KC has written several cookbooks, I’d highly recommend them for anyone venturing into gluten-free cooking.

A diet full of gluten can make you feel “Foggy” When I first discovered my food allergies almost 2 years ago, I quit wheat products cold turkey. I didn’t even explore replacements, and I’m glad. I really got to experience the benefits of lowering my carbohydrate intake which can often make us think and feel “foggy”.

Don’t trade one “evil” for another Most gluten-free breads, crackers and pasta from grocery stores are just loaded with grains and carbs like wheat. While I did go through a withdrawal from some traditional wheat products like my homemade pizza and a crust of artisan bread, the quick severance from the whole shebang made me realize how much I looked to food as a “filler”, especially breads and crackers. Bread and wheat products in particular fill our stomachs quickly, they’re portable and have a long shelf life. They are an easy fix to help us forget about our hunger pangs until we can eat a real meal.

Wheat, Corn, Rice, Potato, Tapioca….They are all Carbs After almost a year off of gluten, I did discover gluten-free pasta. I also found other gluten-free options to replace many traditional wheat products. The problem was I would just be trading one carb for another – so don’t become enamored with a “gluten-free” diet just to follow the crowd, be educated so you can make the best choices. Often, the gluten-free versions have controversial grains in them like rice (which we now know has arsenic in it, even organic varieties), corn (stressful on the kidneys: see below), potato and tapioca (more carbs to fill our stomachs and fuel our appetites). There are bean flours available, but that never agreed with my tastebuds….. garbanzo beans just have too strong a flavor for my palate unless they are partnered with lots of garlic in hummus with fresh veggies.

[GMO corn is now linked to kidney disease.….Some will argue that you can create a study to meet any conclusion you’d like, but I believe our culture’s health speaks volumes on it’s own. We are not a healthy America. In the city I grew up in – Menomonee Falls, we are building our 3rd thriving, major medical center, in addition to having a hospital, and we now have at least 3 dialysis centers nearby in the milwaukee area that I drive by each week]

There are so many great recipes you can cook on your own and you won’t have to rely on store-bought, gluten-free options that are really expensive. You’ll be able to choose wholesome ingredients and save the store-bought for those emergency situations when you need a quick solution. These almond flour crackers are pretty quick to make, though. Don’t be fooled into thinking that homemade has to take a lot of time. This recipe is a great example of healthy “fast food”, something KC’s Kafe is known for creating.

I use Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal Flour, 1 3/4 Cup

Mix in 2 beaten egg whites and 2 T organic olive oil until mixture is crumbly. I did this very quickly with just a fork.

Shape into a ball, then flatten between two sheets of parchment paper, sprinkling your dough with herbs part-way between rolling to help them “stick”

Sprinkle your flattened dough with sea salt and herbs, prick the surface with a fork or other kitchen tool.

Bake 10-15 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cut immediately with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.

Cool completely and enjoy right away! Or store in an airtight container to maintain crispness.

Basic Paleo Almond Flour Crackers

Ingredients:

1 3/4 C Almond Meal Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill, you can find it in the organic aisle at many grocery stores)

2 unpasteurized egg whites (or egg replacement, the recipe with the egg replacement will make really fragile cookies. They are delicious and just melt in your mouth, they just don’t travel well:) )

2 T organic olive oil

Celtic Sea Salt

Fresh or dried herbs of choice ( I used fresh rosemary and ground it with my mortar and pestle which releases all of the wonderful essential oils that chopping just doesn’t do for Rosemary)

Crushing fresh Rosemary helps release the essential oils that are loaded with flavor and immune building essences.

Using a mortar and pestle is the easiest way to crush firm herbs like Rosemary and Thyme

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix together almond meal, olive oil and beaten egg whites or egg replacement, this will make a crumbly mix that shapes quickly into a ball. Roll between two sheets of parchment paper, sprinkling with herbs after just starting to flatten dough. Continue to roll to desired thickness.

Thin crackers will get crisp sooner than thicker crackers and will be more delicate. Remove top layer of parchment paper before baking. Sprinkle with sea salt and additional herbs if you’d like. I pressed my grater spikes into the dough for a little texture.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until light, golden and dry to the touch. Remove from the oven and cut while hot. Cool completely, then move to an airtight container or domed cake plate to keep crisp and fresh.

23 Responses to Paleo Almond Flour Crackers, Simple & Quick

I made these crackers seasoned with cracked pepper, and with cracked pepper and Italian herbs, for Superbowl snacks. They are wonderful! I will definitely make them again and have already shared the recipe with FB friends.

I had one issue though — the first batch I made was way too wet and I had to throw it out (and almond flour is pricey!). I think there were two reasons it was wet. When I made a second batch, I used an additional cup of almond flour (2-3/4 cups). Also, while mixing the second batch I realized the recipe called for egg whites only. The ingredient list calls for whole eggs, so I missed the detail about the whites only. Once I got the quantities adjusted, the mix came out crumbly and the crackers were delicious. They held together great and were fabulous with a stacked topping of apple slices, smoked salmon and avocado.

Thanks for sharing your savory creation, cracked pepper and italian herbs sound delicious! I appreciate the feedback on the eggs, I’m sorry it wasn’t clear in the ingredient list and I’ve updated my recipe to reflect using just the egg whites. I know almond flour is pricey, but if this happens again, you could you could also make the batter into muffins ~ just add 2 tsp of baking powder and pour into a muffin cup pan. The moisture of your batter can also change depending on the size of egg you use and the level of humidity in your home so you can adjust the almond flour if needed to make it into a crumbly texture for the crackers. Bon Appetite!

Thanks for the tip Joel, that’s a huge savings! I think for many, the obstacle to begin using almond flour is cost, which can top $10-15 per pound. This Honeygrainville bulk purchase can bring that down to $5. I know many who will appreciate the link.

Hey all! I found the recipe to be PERFECT. The crackers are a perfect consistency! I waited until a saw a thin part burn a smidge- and still left it in for a couple minutes… I wouldn’t change the recipe from here- nice crispy crackers all the way. I wonder why it brought such different results in the first reply… cooking time maybe??

Definitely! I’ve made an egg free version with a traditional egg replacer (tapioca flour,potato starch, etc. which is not Paleo ) that worked fine. When you use any egg substitute, flax meal or chia seed, just watch the consistency and bake time closely.

Hey Susan! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I just tried making these today, and boy am I happy! I’m on a candida cleanse and it’s basically. just. horrible.
Now I have a little treat for when the diet gets to me
One question: do you think you could make these with coconut oil instead of olive oil?

That’s awesome you are doing the candida cleanse! I’m glad these muffins will bring a little reprieve from the intensity of it all. I usually only use coconut oil in this recipe, definitely a plus in your fight against candida. Good luck with it all and thanks for stopping by, ~Sue

This has been the best Almond Flour Cracker recipe I found. My second round I took out the Rosemary and sprinkle a little sea salt. I also rolled them until they were around 1/16 inch. Finally, even though I bake them for the recipes recommended time. What I do because I like them crispy, I wait until they cool, snap them into their own crackers and put them back into the oven (or toaster oven) and bake at a low temp 250F for about 20 minutes. It doesn’t brown them but does dry them out to more cracker like.

Hi Suzanne, I personally don’t use garbanzo flour because of the strong flavor but have some friends that don’t mind the flavor. I have not experimented with a direct substitute in this recipe. Any other readers have success with this? I like the texture the almond flour gives the muffins, much like a wheat flour – tender and fluffy. When you use garbanzo flour, you also have the potential for gas problems depending on how the flour was processed. bob’s Red Mill makes a gluten free flour substitute and I know they have recipes on their package. That might be a safe way to start experimenting with garbanzo flour to see how your taste buds (and belly) responds. Hope that helps. ~Sue

Tonight is the second time I made these crackers, and I got a little more brave this time. I pressed in sunflower seeds and pepitas for a little extra crunch right before I baked the batch. This time I also tried Alex’s suggestion to dry the crackers a little longer after baking. These are about the best crackers I’ve ever eaten.

Hi Mike, adding seeds sounds delicious, I bet they look great, too! Thanks for sharing, I’ll definitely try this version for some holiday entertaining. One more reason we don’t have to sacrifice our health for tasty food. ~Sue

These things are awesome!!! What an easy recipe, and you can spice to taste. Reminds me back in the days when I was younger and used to eat 500 pieces of those Wheatables, just without all the carbs!!

I have nothing against carbs except when prepping for a show / photoshoot (bodybuilding problems) — so when those days roll around, and I’ll looking for something to scoop up my peanut butter with, this really hits the spot, and since it is loaded w/ healthy fats, it keeps you full for HOURS!!

Yum! But I did have a very wet dough, too. Could it be because I spooned the almond flour into the measuring cups instead of dipping and leveling? (didn’t actually have 1-3/4 c.) I used Bob’s Red Mill.

Hi Annie, I would just keep adding more almond flour until you have a dough that can be worked with. Be careful, however not to add too much or after sitting the dough may become too stiff. I have found Bob’s Red Mill flour can be larger in texture at times which could account for the stickier dough. Rolling the dough between pieces of wax paper can be helpful too.